Improvement in device for marking- and planting corn



Patented Sept.

1. P. ZELLER.

Corn. Planter.

NPETERS, PMOTOLITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D 61 v anal sna strut dhlhlirr.

Letters Patent No. 94,687, dated September 7, 1869.

. IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICE FOR. MARKING AND PLANTING CORN.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

.for Marking, Planting, and Covering Corn; and do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the 'accompanyingdrawin gs, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

' The nature of my invention consists in the construction and general arrangement of a device for marking, planting, and covering corn, which can be adjusted upon a carriage, so constructed that when this device is removethother agricultural implements may be adjusted upon. the same.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to make and use the same, I will 'now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view; and

Figure 2 is a vertical section.

In the drawings, I have represented the carriage in red.

This carriage is so constructed that the frame can be raised or lowered at pleasure; and the hub on one of the wheels, is, on its inner side, provided with a cog-wheel, which gears into another wheel on the slide which carries the driving-wheel. This last cog-wheel operates the corn-planter or dropper, as will be hereinafter' fully set forth.

A represents a bar, of suitable size, which is, on its upper side, provided with two blocks B B, of such size as to fit in between two cross-bars in the front endof thecarriage-fi'ame, where they are held by two buttons, G G, the ends'of the liar A extending under the sides of the frame, thus holding the bar in its place.

Neareach end, on the under side of the bar A, is a bar, a, having an ear at each end, extending downward, outside of which are pivoted two bars D D. These bars extend a suitable distance toward the rear, and are connected by one or more'cross-bars, which bars, at the same time, hold them a certain distance a alt.

Between the rear ends of the bars D D, a roller, E, is pivoted, which serves to cover the corn after it has been planted.

From the centre of the plate a, two ears I) 11 extend toward the rear, and between these cars a metal bar, F, is pivoted. The rear end of this bar is pivoted to -the marking-plow-G, which is secured to the plowbeam H.

The upper end of the plow-beam H is secured bc-- tween two ears, on a cross-bar in the carriage-frame, the marking-plow thus working between the bars 1) D, in front of the centre of the covering-roller E, snf ficient space being, however, left between them for the corn-planting device.

The corn-planting or dropping-device consists of a frame, I, of suitable dimensions, resting on the carriage-frame, and at each end of which is a hopper, J, from which a tube, K, leads downward between the bars D D, and between the marking-plow G and covering-roller E.

Immediately under the bottoms of the boxes J J runs a shaft, c,- which has its hearings in the ends of the frame I, and is, at one end, provided with a cogwheel, cl, which gears into the cog-wheel above mentioned on the slide that carries the driving-wheel.

The shaft 0 thus receives its motion from one of the driving-wheels.

On the shaft 0 are placed two small wheels e e, which work one in. each of the boxes J through a slot in its bottom, said wheels being provided with three notches, each one of which is large enough to hold a grain of corn. The corn is caught in these notches, and as the shaft turns, the corn is carried along and falls down through the tube K. Itwill be seen that for each revolution of the shaft 0, three grains of corn are thus deposited in the tube at regular intervals. At the lower end of the tube K is an inclined spring, f, which holds each-grain, so thatthe same cannot fall into the ground until some force is brought to bear upon it. This force is supplied by a slide, L, the lower end of which extends into the enlarged lower end of the tube K, and fills up the space between the lower end of the spring'f and the front side of the tube. The grain of corn, as ,it falls down in the tube, rests against the spring and the slide. The slide is now raised to a sutficient height, that the grain can passunder the lower end of the same, the spring, however, preventing the grain from passing out of the tube. The slide is then suddenly brought down again, which, of course, forces the grain out of the tube into the ground. This movement of the slide should be so regulated that it will occur regularly for each graindeposited in the tube from'the grain-box.

This is accomplished in the following manner:

.On the shaft 0, at any suitable point, is placed a cog-wheel, g, which gears with another wheel, 6, on a shaft, it, running parallel with the former shaft, and having its hearings in the ends of the frame I.-

On the ends of the shaft h are placed twothreearmed levers m, one opposite each grain-box.

The arms on-these levers operate on a projection, 11,011 the slide L, to raise the same to the required height, and as soon as each arm passes off from said projection, the spring p, at the top of the slide, forces the slide down again.

In this manner, thegraius of corn are regularly deposited in the furrow made by the marking-plow G, and the roller E, following immediately after, covers the same. l

- It will readily be seen that these implements may be easily removed Tom the carriage and others substituted.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

.nected to the bar A, substantially in the manner and fox-the purposes herein set forth. I

4. The arrangement, upon the movable frame I, of

L L, springs f f, and shafts c and h, said shafts being provided'with suitable gearing for operating the agitators and slides, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth. Y

The arrangement of the eogged wheels g and 't, shaft h, three-armed levers m m, projections n n, slides L L, and springs 11 12, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth,

6. The combination of the bars D D, roller E, marking-plow G, grain-boxes J J, tubes K- K, and slides L L, all constructed and arranged as described,.on an adjustable carriage, substantially as and for the purposes herein set' forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing,-I have hereunto set my hand, this 30th day of March, 1869.

' JOHN P. ZELLER.

Witnesses:

N. H. NULL, JOHN H. NULL. 

